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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28578951">fallingforyou</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/blulights/pseuds/blulights'>blulights</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Canon Compliant, Confessions, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, bokuto is graduating, high school setting</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-05</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:22:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,467</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28578951</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/blulights/pseuds/blulights</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The longer they play, the more time it gives him to burn the image of Bokuto hitting the ball into his mind: back arched, eyes squinted, tongue poking out in concentration. </p><p>He never wants to forget this, forget him. </p><p>-</p><p>Bokuto is graduating and Akaashi doesn't know how to deal with the loss of his best friend.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>128</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>My favorite haikyuu fics, haikyuu fics i’ve read!!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>fallingforyou</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Akaashi hears the squeak of sneakers against the gym floor, the thump of the ball slapping against the hardwood. The noises stop for a moment, and Akaashi peeks his head in to see who’s in there, though he already has a pretty good idea. </p><p>“Bokuto-san?” </p><p>Bokuto is crouched over with his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. When he hears Akaashi’s voice, he looks up. </p><p>“Akaashi.” He furrows a brow. “What are you still doing here? I thought you’d be home by now.” </p><p>Akaashi steps into the gym, closing the door behind him. “I figured you’d be in here.” </p><p>“I—” Bokuto stops, looks at the net for a moment. “I wanted to play in this gym one last time.” </p><p>That’s when Akaashi notices that Bokuto is still wearing the tie from his graduation ceremony earlier. His cap is thrown off to the side, a forgotten reminder that his time is up, that he has to go. </p><p>“I’ll set for you, then.”</p><p>And for the first time that day, Bokuto smiles a real smile, bright and shining, and Akaashi thinks <em> please don't leave me. Please don’t go.  </em></p><p>Instead, he takes off his own tie, changes into the sneakers he keeps in his locker, and throws on one of the practice jerseys. </p><p>“Don’t you want to get changed?” He asks, holding out a practice jersey to Bokuto. “I’m sure it can’t be comfortable to play in a dress shirt.” </p><p>Bokuto contemplates the jersey for a moment then grabs it, his fingers brushing against Akaashi’s outstretched hand, and with that, they begin their last practice in this gym together.</p><p>Akaashi loses count of how many times he tosses the ball, but it doesn’t matter because the longer they play, the more time it gives him to burn the image of Bokuto hitting the ball into his mind: back arched, eyes squinted, tongue poking out in concentration. </p><p>He never wants to forget this, forget him. </p><p>Bokuto hits set after set and it seems he’ll never be satisfied with the number of times he hits the ball. </p><p>The way he plays is strong and determined and beautiful. He’s beautiful. </p><p>At some point, Bokuto turns to him with a wide smile, his eyes blazing. “Your sets are the best, Akaashi.” </p><p>And Akaashi falters, almost dropping the ball. </p><p>When they’ve played for so long that the sun has begun to set outside and their muscles are screaming out in pain, they decide to call it a night. </p><p>“I’m scared, ‘Kaashi,” Bokuto says quietly when they’re in the locker room. </p><p>Akaashi furrows a brow. “Scared of what?” He starts undressing and watches as Bokuto does the same. </p><p>“I dunno,” Bokuto mumbles. “Scared of graduating, scared of going off into the real world.” </p><p>He looks like he wants to say something else, but he keeps his mouth shut. </p><p>“I understand your fear, Bokuto-san, but you really have nothing to worry about,” Akaashi says, reaching over to turn on the faucet for the showers. “You’ve already received offers from a lot of great teams. You’re gonna go far in your volleyball career.” </p><p>Bokuto steps into the hot stream, the water immediately flattening his hair. After a minute he says, “What if my new teammates don’t like me? What if they think I’m weird or annoying.” </p><p>And Akaashi realizes that it’s insecurity. That’s why Bokuto is scared to graduate. </p><p>(Later, he’ll realize it’s him. He’s the reason Bokuto is scared to graduate).</p><p>“Anyone who thinks that doesn’t deserve to have you on their team. You’re an amazing player.“ </p><p>“As soon as I start feeling down during a game they’re gonna bench me.” Bokuto sounds bitter and Akaashi realizes it’s directed at himself. “No one wants a player who only plays good when they’re feeling good.” </p><p>“You’re working on that, Bokuto-san. It’s going to take time to mature, but you’ve come very far.” </p><p>Bokuto keeps his head under the stream of water, his eyes clenched. When he doesn’t say anything, Akaashi continues. </p><p>“Your teammates will get to know you and love you, just like we did.” <em> Just like I did.  </em></p><p>“None of them are gonna know me as well as you do,” Bokuto says, finally looking up at Akaashi. His eyes are pleading, but Akaashi doesn’t know what for. </p><p>He doesn’t know what to say to that, so he doesn’t say anything. Something flickers in Bokuto’s eyes, and only later will Akaashi realize that it was hurt. </p><p>They finish showering in silence. Akaashi doesn’t want things between them to end like this, but he doesn’t know what to do, doesn’t know how to make it better. </p><p>Bokuto was—is—his biggest inspiration. He’s one of the reasons Akaashi loves volleyball as much as he does. Akaashi doesn’t know when, but at some point, volleyball only became fun when he was playing with Bokuto. </p><p>He doesn’t know when, but at some point, life only became fun when Bokuto was at his side. </p><p>Akaashi is scared, too. He doesn’t want Bokuto to leave. </p><p>So when they’re finished getting dressed and Bokuto is towel drying his hair, Akaashi says just that. </p><p>Bokuto looks up, shocked, and the towel falls limp around his shoulders. </p><p>“‘Kaashi,” he breathes out.</p><p>“I’m sure you already know this, Bokuto-san, but you inspire me,” Akaashi says, and it’s uncomfortable to say, but he needs Bokuto to hear it. “Playing on this team won’t be the same without you.” </p><p>Instead of responding, Bokuto goes to his locker and pulls out a folded piece of clothing. He holds it out to him and with a start, Akaashi realizes it’s Bokuto’s own jersey. </p><p>“You’re gonna be captain next year, ‘Kaash, and I know you were gonna get this jersey at the start of the season anyway, but I wanted you to have it now.” </p><p>Bokuto doesn’t say anything else, but Akaashi hears the unspoken words. </p><p>
  <em> I wanted you to have it from me.  </em>
</p><p>“Thank you, Bokuto-san,” he says, taking the jersey from Bokuto and smoothing a hand over it. </p><p>“You’re gonna be the best captain this team has ever had,” Bokuto says with a tight smile. </p><p>“Not as good as you.” </p><p>“You’ll be better,” Bokuto says, and he sounds so sure of himself that Akaashi wants to believe it, too. </p><p>“I guess you’ll have to see for yourself,” Akaashi says in a teasing tone, trying to lighten the mood. “You’ll have to come to all my games.” </p><p>“And you’ll have to come to mine,” Bokuto says, and they make a silent promise, determination in their eyes. </p><p><em> I’ll always be on the sidelines, </em> they say, <em> I’ll always be watching you.  </em></p><p>Akaashi puts Bokuto’s jersey in his locker, and even though it’s technically his now, it’ll never stop being Bokuto’s. <em> He’ll </em> never stop being Bokuto’s.</p><p>“Thank you for everything, Bokuto-san,” he says, still facing his locker. “You have a bright future ahead of you.” Akaashi wishes more than anything that he could be a part of it. </p><p>“‘Kaash.” Bokuto steps closer to him. “I don’t want to leave. I want to stick by your side forever.” </p><p>Akaashi laughs but it sounds more like a sob. “Forever’s a long time, Bokuto-san.” </p><p>“And I wanna spend every second of it with you.” Bokuto places a hand on his shoulder, and Akaashi wants nothing more than to melt into the touch. “You’re my partner, my best friend. You’re the most important person in my life.” </p><p>Akaashi turns around now, unshed tears in his eyes. “You don’t know what you’re saying, Bokuto-san.” </p><p>“I’m saying that I love you.” And Bokuto’s eyes are pleading and fearful and honest and Akaashi wants so badly to believe him. </p><p>“You’re graduating, Bokuto-san. You could be moving to a new city, a new country. Things won’t be easy.” </p><p>“Things don’t have to be easy. We’ll get through anything, ‘Kaash. I know we can.” Bokuto sounds so certain that Akaashi wonders what he did to gain Bokuto’s absolute and unshakable trust. “You just need to give me a chance.” </p><p>In hindsight, Akaashi should have known that Bokuto’s unwavering confidence would convince him to go through with this. </p><p>It convinced him to come to this school. It convinced him to keep playing volleyball. It convinced him to not be so hard on himself. </p><p>And now it’s convinced him to love.</p><p>So Akaashi gives him a chance, fear be damned. Bokuto means more to him than his own insecurities. </p><p>“Do you want to go get cow tongue?” Akaashi asks as he closes the locker. “My treat.” </p><p>Bokuto grins. “Is that a yes?” </p><p>“It’s a promise,” Akaashi says. “That I’m willing to try.” </p><p>“Then let’s go get some cow tongue.” And they head out of their high school gym together for the very last time.</p><p>Later, Akaashi thanks the universe that he made that promise. Later, he thanks Bokuto for allowing him to keep that promise. </p><p>
  <br/>
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</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I know Akaashi wouldn't technically wear jersey #4 since that's traditionally what the aces wear, but I still think the idea is really cute. I hope you guys enjoyed reading! kudos, comments, and shares are greatly appreciated. thank you!! </p><p>come say hi on <a href="https://twitter.com/atsum00s">twitter</a> !</p></blockquote></div></div>
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